Monday, April 16, 2012

The close but gross



That is the name my friend's mom gave to our local grocery store. It is the only game in town so a lot of people run to it out of convenience (me included) but it is super filthy. Do you have one of those? The thing about this store though is the people you meet in the aisles and the conversations that happen.  There is always the random stranger that will look you in the eyes and say, "I can't believe I'm in this store. Do you have any idea where the soup is?"  No, I don't.  Yes, it's over there.  But you also run into people you know and if you fail at avoiding eye contact a lot of crazy shit is spoken in these aisles.  Examples:  I think I have a yeast infection.  My ten year old peed his bed.  My dad just died (me).  I will text you when we have taken care of the lice situation.  We are selling our house.  We are probably getting a divorce.  I might be pregnant.  I just can't take it anymore (me).  Just kidding about the last one.  I can totally take it.  Anyway, I always come away feeling a little closer to my neighbors.  And needing Purell.  And having to boil my produce.

Forget pickup and drop off.  If you want to get to the nitty gritty of your town just pop into your local market.  Something about grabbing a big pack of toilet paper and some apple juice just makes people talk.  My dirty little store puts the close in gross.

Love,
Kristen

1 comment:

  1. You perfectly described our neighborhood Gristedes when we lived in the NYC studio. But it wasn't close; it was gross...and always smelled like rat poison. I once overheard the cashier bitching to the other cashier about a customer. She said, "Don't you be dissin on J Lo", with a head shake and finger point.

    Love,
    Noods

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